


A Familiar Reflection

by MagicalMageHimiko



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bodyswap, But it's just ferdie about his hair and Hubert being Hubert don't worry, Confessions, Everyone else has one braincell between them, Ferdibert Week 2020 (Fire Emblem), First Kiss, Fluff, Idiots in Love, If You Squint - Freeform, Linhardt knows what's up 3 secs in, M/M, Minor Angst, Minor Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Mutual Pining, Pining, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:15:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25874218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalMageHimiko/pseuds/MagicalMageHimiko
Summary: What on earth was she talking about? Surely she could see he was still stood right here, looking at her with his own two eyes?His own…two eyes?Why wasn’t his fringe hiding one of his eyes?He reached a gloved hand up to inspect his head, and belatedly realized that this was *not* his shirt and slacks that he was wearing, because he had put on black, certainly not crimson red.And his hair was absolutely not bright orange, in curls that drifted past his shoulders.Oh no.Or: After an experiment goes wrong, Hubert and Ferdinand switch bodies and are forced to go about their day as each other. Shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 16
Kudos: 112





	A Familiar Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Here's my contribution to Ferdibert week, with the prompts being "Body Swap" and "Confessions". This turned out a lot longer than what I was expecting to write, but hopefully you all enjoy anyway <3

“So you see, you would be doing me, Constance von Nuvelle a grand favour by assisting me in my magical research!” 

She finished with a flourish of a hand gesturing to herself, looking smug despite having spent the last twenty minutes begging the two confused nobles stood in front of her to become test subjects for her latest stroke of genius.

Hubert sighed. This was a waste of time, he had things to do today. Why on earth had she dragged both him and Ferdinand from their rooms before even dawn had begun to appear? He had barely been awake to begin with, slowly nodding off while writing yet another document on negotiations with stubborn nobles, when the boisterous lady had forced herself into his room, dragging a yawning Ferdinand by the sleeve. 

He rubbed his eyes while beginning to turn around, intending to make it through abyss and back to his room before he really did pass out from exhaustion.

“Hubert, wait a moment, let us hear her out.” Ferdinand grabbed his arm mid-turn, giving him one of his pleading puppy eyes looks. He gave a sigh of defeat, he didn’t want to start his morning with one of Ferdinand’s pouty looks, they actually made him feel bad about himself. 

He turned back around, and gave Constance one of his darkest glares he could muster, which, when combined with a severe lack of sleep and a pouty Ferdinand, proved to be *very* menacing. The usually confident posture she held shook for a second. Victory.

“Very well then, if you desire our assistance so badly, perhaps you can clue us in to what kind of…research is this?” He noted it was a key factor that she had left out of her plea, which raised alarm bells somewhere in his mind.

She cleared her throat, fixing her posture and reapplying that boastful smile she wore so proudly. “Well, it is a rather simple request, if you can believe it!” She gestured towards the open tome on the table beside her. “It is merely a quick demonstration of this new alternate warp spell I have devised!” 

The man beside him lit up with glee at that statement, smile beaming so bright that Hubert almost had to shield his eyes, how could such a radiant being be allowed to wander the corridors without a warning pinned to his forehead?

“You have created an alternate warp spell? Constance, if this proves viable, this could turn the tides of the war in our favour!” Ferdinand beamed, eyes sparkling as he looked at the proud noble with awe. 

Constance’s smile somehow turned even smugger, if such a feat was possible. “Ohoho, it is merely a trifle of a matter compared to many of the other obstacles I must defeat before I may restore House Nuvelle” she gestured her hand again, waving it at nothing in particular. “In any case, you can clearly see why I need to retrieve results as soon as possible.” 

Try as he might, Hubert honestly couldn’t find a reason to refute this, the damned woman was, unfortunately, rather intelligent. More than one would assume from her attitude and behaviour, anyway. 

He crossed his arms and decided instead to gain more information. He still wasn’t agreeing to an experiment he didn’t know the contents of, after all. “What kind of… experiment is this? What would we have to do exactly?” He narrowed his eyes at her again, while he wasn’t as close to the woman as Ferdinand, he at least knew she was capable of some cunning schemes. 

“Well” She picked up the tome and began pointing to certain diagrams on the pages. “In a normal warp spell, the caster can send a fellow ally to a different place on the battlefield.” She turned the page and pointed towards more diagrams. “But in my refined version, the person being transported can switch places with someone else far away, getting an ally who is in trouble switched to safety, and replaced with someone who can handle the battle, all in mere moments!” 

She closed the tome with a *snap*, laughing loudly at her own genius. Hubert couldn’t help but pinch his forehead, he was already beginning to get a headache and he hadn’t even heard Ferdinand introduce himself for the third time that day.

“In theory, this spell can save countless lives on the battlefield, making it essential to the Imperial Army’s assets, however…” A pointed look in the two’s direction. “This has yet to be put into practice, and so here you come in!” 

Ferdinand frowned slightly, confused. “I am not too sure I follow, are you meaning to say that you want us to be subjects for a spell that has not been put into practice before?” 

An accusatory finger pointed in Ferdinand’s direction almost right away, making him jump. “Yes! Exactly! You Ferdinand, have hit the nail on the head.” She retracted her arm, instead using it to gesture towards the tome once again. “Of course, I have tested it with many things already. Teapots, Items of clothing and even a few cats have been put through the paces, and I can account for the pristine condition each and every one has returned in.”

Hubert was almost certain that there was quite the difference between testing a spell on teapots and testing a spell on humans, but kept silent for the time being. 

“All you have to do is merely stand each in one part of abyss, sufficiently far enough away to simulate a battlefield’s open space. After that, I shall cast the spell and you should switch places in seconds!”

“Oh, Hubert! I do believe that this is a simple task that we can do. Afterall, this could be a key factor in securing our victory!” The sun itself seemed to be shedding its light on Hubert then, even through the many layers of ground Abyss is hidden under. Another pleading look from Ferdinand followed the smile, fracturing his already weakened resolve. “This is a request from one of my oldest friends, it would mean the world to me if you can lend a hand or two”. 

Why oh why had Constance brought him of all people? If it had been anyone else he would have already left by now, finished his paperwork and gotten at least some sleep. But no. She had to bring Ferdinand von Aegir, noblest of nobles, the only bit of warmth that had forced its way into Hubert’s cold, distanced heart. And, while he only thought it in secret, he did wish that the warmth wouldn’t ever leave his heart alone again. 

He sighed. Again. “Fine, fine. I don’t see much harm in this one, and I mean *one* test. Any subsequent experiments must be done without me.” The glare on his face was melted away by the pure joy that elated on Ferdinand’s face. 

Damn this man. 

\-----

“When I cast the spell, it should feel just like a normal warp. The only difference should be that Ferdinand will be standing where you are now” 

She pointed towards the place in the ground Hubert was currently stood in, a chalk circle around him drawn into the rocky path in one of abyss’s many passages. They had left Ferdinand back in Constance’s room, with a reluctant Hapi overseeing the results on that end. Unfortunately, that had left Hubert the victim of Constance’s unrelenting chatter on the walk to a suitable spot. Whatever he had considered a headache before paled in comparison to the pain he felt now.

“Yes yes, I know. You have explained it to me no less than 12 times, may we please get this over with already?” Goddess, if he had once thought Lorenz and Ferdinand to blabber on endlessly, they certainly appeared much more bearable than this hellish woman now. 

At last, she seemed to take the hint. She raised two hands up, creating spell diagrams to appear in the air, the crest of Noa adorning a few of them. As educated as he was in Magic, even he struggled to decipher some of the runes, which was a little concerning. 

Quite concerning.

Maybe he was panicking the tiniest bit now.

He had never permitted himself to experiment without understanding the contents of the magic itself before, going as far as learning Agarthan methods of sorcery. Only now coming across something new was undoubtedly going to cause some concern.

“And you will be ready to go in three, two, one…”

He closed his eyes as he felt the familiar, vortex feeling of a Warp spell engulf him. All seemed to be going just fine. 

He waited until the swirling feeling disappeared before opening his eyes again. Opening his eyes to see….

The exact same stone wall he was looking at before. 

"It didn’t wo-“ He began to speak, but he was interrupted by Constance pumping her fist into the air.

“It worked! It worked! House Nuvelle is one step closer to being restored!”

What on earth was she talking about? Surely she could see he was still stood right here, looking at her with his own two eyes?

His own…two eyes?

Why wasn’t his fringe hiding one of his eyes?

He reached a gloved hand up to inspect his head, and belatedly realized that this was *not* his shirt and slacks that he was wearing, because he had put on black, certainly not crimson red.

And his hair was absolutely not bright orange, in curls that drifted past his shoulders. 

Oh no. 

“What in Ailell is going on here!?” He shouted at the noblewoman, still engrossed in her self-flattery to notice the confusion happening right next to her. Unfortunately, that also led to him being taken aback by the sound of Ferdinand’s voice leaving his throat, causing him to leap back a step.

That seemed to get her attention though, she ceased her praises, and turned to face him, brows knotted in confusion. “Is something the matter, Ferdinand?”

“You could say that” He replied, unsure on how to control Ferdinand’s loud voice, he was used to conversing in whispers. “Because I am most certainly not Ferdinand.”

If this wasn’t such a serious matter, he would’ve taken great pleasure in the way her face fell and her mouth dropped open in a perfect o. 

“I…Huh?” She shook her head. Then again. “Hubert? Is that you?” 

No, It’s Bernadetta, He sarcastically thought. “On the inside it appears, yes.” 

Her face appeared to change almost 3 different shades of green in a matter of seconds, she started flipping through her tome at quickening pace. “Oh no, oh no oh no oh no…” 

“Care to explain what is going on here? I most certainly do not remember any warp spell that sent the intended person into another’s body.” Oh, did he want to glare, but he couldn’t help the sinking feeling that any menace he put into a single expression would be fruitless, Ferdinand couldn’t look menacing if he tried. Even in the midst of battle he held a sort of grace when he cut down hordes of faceless soldiers. He decided to give up while he was ahead. 

Whatever it was Constance was about to say however, was interrupted by the sound of someone sprinting towards their location, footsteps echoing in the corridors of Abyss.

“Constance! I believe that there has been, uh, a slight mistake!” Hubert whipped round then, that couldn’t have been his own voice that he just heard through the echoes, right?

But of course, like many things that had already happened that day, Hubert was once again proven wrong.

The figure behind the voice turned the final corner to where they were standing, a tall figure dressed in a white shirt and black slacks, a gloved hand clutching his stomach as he panted, breath lost somewhere far away. The other gloved hand pushed the black fringe out of the way, revealing a golden eye, staring at his own in shock.

This man was undoubtedly in the body of Hubert von Vestra. 

“F-Ferdinand?” He questioned, it should have been obvious really, if he was in Ferdinand’s body, then surely Ferdinand would have been in his own, right?

He watched as his own jaw dropped open in shock, eyes widening even further than before. “Hubert? Do not tell me that this has happened to you too?” his own voice questioned him. Quite a surreal experience, if he had to put a name to it.

He crossed his arms, feeling bare at the sensation of being outside his body. Literally. Usually he savored Irony such as this, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to appreciate it today. Hardly surprising. “I am afraid that it has, whatever *this* is.” 

He brought a gloved hand to pick up a strand of orange hair falling over his…er, Ferdinand’s chest, gesturing to it to make his point clear.

“It appears that our *good friend* Constance here has made a… slight error in the experiment.” He continued, tone as sarcastic yet threatening as he could make it in Ferdinand’s voice. Which unfortunately, wasn’t much. “Isn’t that right, Constance?”

The two men both looked over at the blonde noble, her usual posture non-existent, hands trembling as they gripped the tome tightly, as if they may provide an exit to this unfortunate situation. 

“Ha..haha, it appears that I was correct in my assumption that it would switch the locations of the two people, however….” She swallowed. “It appears that the spell also…switches the souls that reside in the bodies too.” She plastered on a fake smile, a bead of sweat dropping down her cheek. 

“It appears?” he stated bluntly. “I think it is a little obvious that we have clearly switched places. Do you mind switching us back? Right now would be preferable.” He delivered the order all in the same tone, the lack of anger only increasing its lethality. Or at least, it usually did, Ferdinand’s sweet harmonious voice only made it sound as casual as a weather topic during a tea break. 

She seemed to shrink even further anyway, trembling so much one would almost think she was standing under the bright rays of the sun. 

(well, he was in Ferdinand’s body, a body that would fight the sun itself in a competition to see which could radiate more light, so he wouldn’t be surprised if it was having the same effect on Constance)

“W-well, you see. Since this uh, side effect has not shown up in any of my previous experiments, It is going to take… some time before I can switch you back.” She took a deep breath, calming herself down as best she could under the two glares. “So you are going to have to remain in each other’s bodies for the time being. If we are lucky, I may be able to have an antidote by the end of today”.

A moment of silence passed while her words sunk in, a moment in which not one person moved, breathed, or even blinked

“Do you mean to say” He began. “That I must spend the day completing Ferdinand’s duties?” If there was a goddess, somewhere in this world, please let her take pity on him in this most unfortunate circumstance. 

“Well, to be frank. Yes. You will. And dear Ferdinand here-“ She gestured at the shifting form, clearly unsure of how to even stand in this unfamiliar body. “-Will have to carry out the duties of one Marquis Vestra” 

At that, Ferdinand spoke up, Hubert’s rich, deep voice breaking the air. “Wh- but today is almost full to bursting with important duties! There is war council meetings to attend, reports to be completed, training to be done…” His showing eye gave of an animated look of exasperation, one that Hubert was certain had never appeared on his face before, and one that Hubert prayed would never have reason to again. He spoke up with his own reservations.

“Indeed, today is exceptionally busy. Along with the war council, there is also reviews that I must oversee, documents I must read over and send off. *Not to mention* the fact that as a humble servant of Lady Edelgard, I must be ready to assist her at any possible moment, especially during such a crucial point of-“

“Yes yes, I know it is a massive inconvenience and it is all my fault.” Constance interrupted “…And I am sorry. Truly. It was not my intention to make such a blatant error. I see that I still have a long way to go before I can even begin restoring House Nuvelle.”

She stood up straight, confidence most assuredly returning. “I assure you, I will be dedicating every waking moment I have this day to fix this mistake that I have created. But until then, I am afraid that you two are going to have to make do, whether you like it or not.” She crossed her arms, signalling the end of the conversation.

He turned to Ferdinand then, looking into the unfamiliar golden eye that was visible. He supposed he could liken it to looking in a mirror, but he had never been one to care about his personal appearance. “Well?” He spoke up. “Do you suppose we could manage just one day of being in each other’s roles?”

The other man’s mouth turned upward into a smirk then, but a different kind to the one usually seen on Hubert von Vestra’s face. Not the kind which stank of irony, of manipulation, of confirmed victory. This was the kind of smirk one used when accepting a challenge, of assuring victory before it’s even met. 

“My my, could you perhaps be offering me a challenge?” with a sinking feeling, he realised that for as long as Ferdinand was in his body, he was but several inches taller than him, and he could feel the rising confidence that filled the man upon realising this information. 

He ignored it, mouth turning upward into a smirk of his own. “A challenge? Heh, how like you. Very well then. We shall have a friendly rivalry to see which one completes the other’s task to the best standards. If we are lucky, nobody shall know of this inconvenience. “

If Ferdinand was in his own body, Hubert imagined that his face would have lit up in an instant, as if a thousand candles had been lit all at once. In Hubert’s, pale, bony, unworthy body however…. It simply looked out of place. 

With a sigh, he began walking towards the exit of abyss. It was certainly going to be a long day.

\-----

“So, if we truly are going to go through with this, surely you can fill me in with today’s tasks? A day in the life of one Hubert von Vestra, if you will. Standard meetings and caring for Edelgard’s needs should be a simple enough feat, but what about all of the tasks you complete under a layer of secrecy?” 

Ferdinand was walking side by side with uh, himself. Even though he knew in his head that it was not another copy of him, it was most assuredly difficult not to feel confused by the strange situation he found himself in. 

He looked over at Hubert once again, if one knew the context, he realised that it became quite clear that it was not Ferdinand von Aegir. His face was set in a most uncharacteristic scowl, head bowed. He was not in his usual confident stride. If an onlooker was to walk by and see him, they would probably assume he was either angry or embarrassed. Which, seeing as it was Hubert, was probably correct.

“Of course, I understand that you prefer to keep things of this nature under wraps” he continued. “However, I believe that a situation such as this requires an exception. You need only tell me what I need to know for today’s schedule.”

The man beside him turned his scowl to face him. He most desperately hoped he would not ever encounter an experience that would force him to make such a scowl upon his face ever again, it did not suit a noble such as himself at all. “And risk a nosy listener hearing our conversation? Absolutely not. If I was….myself, speaking to you, passers-by would simply cower and avoid our paths. But the mighty Ferdinand von Aegir having a hushed conversation with the Emperor’s right hand? Now that would make some juicy gossip amongst the village-folk. I would rather avoid that, personally.”

Ferdinand huffed at that. Hubert always overthinks every little thing he does, and right now, it was not helping the situation.

“Well surely you can write me a letter kindly detailing today’s schedule. It is innocent enough and no interceptors would see it as anything suspicious.” He shot back. 

Hubert stopped scowling at him then, turning his gaze once more to the stone pathway they were walking on. Their destination, for now, was unknown. Both men were silently hoping a sign would appear telling them where on earth to start in a day like today.

“…Fine. I see no issues with that, I will send a messenger along when I arrive.” He finally answered. A gloved hand ran through Ferdinand’s long waves, flicking them from his chest and shoulders to his back. “How on earth do you deal with this hair? It only seems like an inconvenience to me.” 

He huffed, making Hubert’s fringe fly away from his face for a moment, only for it to return back a moment later. “I could say the exact same thing to you, at least I have both of my eyes uncovered for my daily tasks.”

Ah yes, the classic banter between them. It appears that time, and even a switch of bodies cannot prevent one of them from starting an argument, despite the fact they had lost all bite months ago. If anything, he was grateful for the feeling of familiarity between them. He held onto it, grasping it like a precious treasure, something he refused to let go off.

It was himself that dropped his gaze this time, staring at Hubert’s boots, inarguably lighter and less heavy than his usual armoured wear or riding boots, it made him feel uneasy, being so light on his feet.

“If you feel the urge to simply cut it all off, I shall allow you to do that. It was not my intention to grow it out in the first place, I simply got busy with everything and could not once find time to even think about my appearance. If it bothers you so much, I would not mind.”

The other man snaps his head to Ferdinand then, eyes wide with shock, before he quickly blinks them back into a state of neutrality. “You would simply rid yourself of this on the whim of a single other person? I figured you were better than this Ferdinand.” He paused, and Ferdinand would swear that he saw the lightest hints of pink rise upon his cheeks. 

“And, while I quite dislike this type of style on myself, I will admit that on you it looks…charming. In my personal opinion, I would argue that this length of hair is much more preferable than your past short locks.” He saw himself raise a strand of the hair with a gloved hand. “Although, I do wish you could take some sense and tie it up sometimes, I can assure you that it will make menial tasks all the easier”.

Ferdinand himself felt the heat rise to his cheeks this time, and he barely had time to process the mental image of how Hubert must look when he is blushing before he is speaking up again. “W-well, while I largely appreciate your kind compliments, even from my own body, I must ask you again to er, leave it in writing. I am afraid I am not sure how to respond when you compliment me so suddenly.” 

He raised his own (Or, perhaps it would be better to say Hubert’s) gloved hand to gesture at the black locks on his head. “And I apologise for my earlier statement. I will admit that I largely prefer having both of my eyes for all to see, but the look on you…” The blush raged harder. “It suits you, without a doubt. It makes you appear more menacing, but it is clear to see that you have your own unique charm. *I* certainly don’t mind gazing at your face, for one.” 

The two continued walking, both with faces down and a blush fierce on their cheeks. An awkward silence surrounded him, threatened to choke him if he attempted to speak again, he instead focused on the day ahead of him. Surely a few hours as Hubert von Vestra would not be too challenging…right?

They stopped, finally. Their destination apparently being their old academy dorms, each on one side of Caspar’s. He cleared his throat, and made his way towards Hubert’s door. “I think it is only fair that we enter each other’s rooms. We would not want to, er, cause an accidental scandal, would we?” 

Hubert had stopped behind him, clearly having somehow skipped this thought process in his calculations. His stance shifted into one of, dare he think it, nervousness. Hubert cleared his throat this time. “Y-yes. Of course. Though I must inform you, if you dare to open even a single drawer in my room, you shall pay dearly.”

Ferdinand laughed nervously, certain that the other man was not joking. “Of course. It is not noble manners to go snooping in other’s private belongings after all.”

He turned the doorknob, ready to open it and enter. “The messenger will not be long, will they? I despise not having time to prepare my day before it has begun.”

Hubert laughed (He guessed it was supposed to be one of his famous dark ones, but coming from Ferdinand it simply sounded like a response to a clever joke). “Of course, I merely need the time to write it all down. You should probably prepare to do the same.” With that, Hubert opened the door to Ferdinand’s room and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

With a sigh, Ferdinand did the same, stepping into Hubert’s room with the smallest hint of anticipation building in his chest. He had never once been inside the man’s room, not during their academy days and not since the reunion a few months ago. For a few moments, he wondered just how much it would differ from his own dorm.

He closed the door, and turned to face the space around him. Funnily enough, the space was not unlike Ferdinand’s at all. The only noticeable change was that instead of certain pieces of armour scattered around the room, there was stacks of tomes with titles Ferdinand couldn’t even begin to decipher. (Of course, this is Hubert, he wouldn’t place of all of his secrecy where just anyone could see, he most likely had several hiding places scattered around the room).

He continued looking around as he made his way to sit on the bed. *Hubert’s* bed, his mind supplied him with. The air smelled of coffee and the smoky wisps after black magic had been cast. If he concentrated, he could pick up traces of the musky cologne that Hubert wore sparingly after he had gifted It to him a few moons back. Overall, the whole place smelled like Hubert, and he found himself smiling at the thought.

Ferdinand looked up, and nearly jumped up off the bed when he saw his reflection in the dormitory mirror. The reflection did the same. He leaned in closer to the mirror, and so did Hubert’s reflection. Experimentally, he raised an eyebrow. Hubert followed. After a moment, he smiled, and so did Hubert. 

He dropped it quickly, a Ferdinand von Aegir smile really did not suit Hubert’s face at all. He tried again, making the smile softer, less obvious. 

His heart panged, this looked almost exactly like the sort of smiles he saw during their ever-increasing tea and coffee breaks. The ones Hubert gave him while Ferdinand gave one of his many enthusiastic lectures on horses, the ones he saw directed at him in the middle of a war council meeting. The ones that occupied his mind for hours, days and nights upon end. 

While he was considering these thoughts, he remembered that he had never properly had the chance to study Hubert’s facial features this close before. He stopped smiling and instead focused on the rest of the reflection in front of him. 

Despite what Hubert said about himself, Ferdinand would argue that he is absolutely not at all ugly, or unsightly. He would much rather use the words “Handsome” and “Charming”. The golden eyes shone like priceless jewels, his cheekbones edged in a way that is undoubtedly Hubert. Anyone who though that he looked unworthy must be blind. 

After allowing himself a few more moments of gazing at his face, he forced himself to look away and searched around until he found something he could write on to deliver to the upcoming messenger. 

\-----

Hubert closed the door behind him as he entered Ferdinand’s room. Whatever thoughts he had of it being chokingly filled with flowers and bright, obnoxious smells disappeared when he realised it was actually quite similar to his own. 

The furniture, carpet, and layout were exactly the same as his own, with the exception being that rather than his tomes and research books stacked here and there, plates of armour littered the floor, and a rather impressive collection of tea leaves and tea sets decorated the room as well. 

He gathered that the tea leaves explained why the room stank of the substance. He was by no means a tea expert, but even he couldn’t avoid the oily smell of Bergamot, the sickly fragrance of Lavender and the all too familiar fruity tones of Southern Fruit Blend. He’d quickly learned how that tea in particular was Ferdinand’s favourite, and was the most common choice for their breaks which grew increasingly more common. 

A few moments passed and the overbearing collision of scents died down enough for Hubert to recognise more tones underneath them. The smell of oil which Ferdinand used religiously to keep his weapons polished to perfection, the flowery cologne that reminded him of his childhood in the Imperial Palace gardens. For a moment, he almost swore he recognised the slightest hint of coffee, but he quickly buried that thought down. 

He sat on the stool in front of the vanity, where he was lucky enough to find writing materials waiting for use on the counter, most likely for essays and reports that needed to be completed later that day. As he reached for the sheet however, he was distracted by his reflection. He looked up, and stared at it. The scowling face of Ferdinand stared back. Very concerning.

He relaxed his face from his scowl, not wanting the unsightly image of the expression on Ferdinand to burn into his memory. His mind wanted him to start writing then, but he allowed himself a few moments of looking at Ferdinand’s face. It wasn’t as if he was gifted such an opportunity on a regular basis. 

As always, Ferdinand looked positively radiant. Even with someone as unworthy as Hubert occupying his body, he looked as dazzling as ever. The thought made Hubert give a slight smile to himself, but then was forced to almost shield his eyes as the reflection smiled too, Ferdinand’s features practically beaming rays through the glass barrier.

Eventually, he tore his eyes away from the sun incarnate long enough to focus on his writing, sincerely hoping that Ferdinand suddenly writing in loopy cursive wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows.

\-----

According to the letter the messenger had given him, Hubert’s first task of the day required an inventory check of the Library, and to make note of any books and tomes that may have use to upcoming schemes. And so, Ferdinand was currently in the middle of doing just that, and while he was there he was going the extra mile to clean it up too. (Really, it was an odd thing to see Hubert do, but this kind of thing is ingrained in Ferdinand, so it’s not like he could help it).

Out of habit, while in the middle of separating the Dark magic and Faith magic piles, he started humming under his breath. However, he froze the second he heard the sound, still not used to Hubert’s rich voice coming from himself.

A second later though, and a thought dashed through him, and it occurred to Ferdinand that he had not once ever heard Hubert *sing*. He looked around the library, and upon not seeing anyone else in view, started to quietly sing one of his memorised opera songs. 

He had to completely stop his work then, just to process what he was hearing. Every note and octave he made Hubert’s voice pronounce, it did just so with ease. Not only that, but he actually sounded…incredible! If he closed his eyes, he could imagine Hubert singing such a song softly, like a lullaby as he sang someone to sleep. His heart pounded with jealousy, did Edelgard know about Hubert’s hidden talent? Did Hubert sing her to sleep when she was kept awake by nightmares? 

His colliding thoughts were interrupted with a loud crash from one of the corners in the library. He paused his singing and whipped round to see Bernadetta trembling under his gaze, books fallen to the floor around her. He guessed that was the source of the crash.

“Ah, Bernadetta! I apologise-“ He began, before he was cut off by Bernadetta’s instant babbling.

“AAAAAAHHHH!! I’m so so sorry I didn’t mean to overhear I was just getting some books- not that I dislike your voice or anything but-aaahhhhh just shut up Bernie, you should just go away bernie, nobody wants you bernieeee”

Oh no. 

“Bernadetta please! It is alright-“ 

He couldn’t even finish the sentence before she ran out of the room, still babbling apologies and self-deprecation insults. 

Ferdinand sighed, he could have sworn that she had been getting much more confident lately…at least with him. Perhaps she still had a way to go until she managed a conversation with Hubert. He had heard from him during one of their tea breaks that she used to faint *standing up* when he attempted to speak to her. 

He gathered up her dropped books, and made a mental note to deliver them back to her after he had finished in the Library.

\-----

Hubert exited the knight’s hall, having somehow bluffed his way through this week’s report from the local generals, the first task on Ferdinand’s daily schedule. How, he wasn’t completely sure. Despite the meeting not being overly long, that amount of time spent smiling and chatting and being…Ferdinand already left Hubert exhausted. 

Ferdinand’s boots clanked as he walked along the stone path, which was volumes too loud for him. He was used to sneaking in the shadows, silently cutting down anyone who opposed Lady Edelgard’s ideals. Anything louder than that filled him with unease. With vulnerability. 

The fact that everyone thought he was Ferdinand certainly didn’t help. Even now, as he walked along, passers-by turned to him and smiled, often greeting him with a “Good Morning General!”, A complete contrast to what usually happened. When they would cower with fear and avoid his gaze, speeding up to walk past him quickly. 

Not that he wasn’t enjoying it, It was actually rather….nice, to be seen by society as an equal. But for every moment he spent as Ferdinand, Hubert couldn’t help but feel that he was tainting him, dragging him down. Only Ferdinand deserved to be Ferdinand.

A few more minutes of this continued, until-

“Oi, Ferdinand!”… Oh joy.

He stopped in his tracks as Caspar approached him, the rising sun making his cyan hair somehow even lighter, a boyish smile on his face. 

“Caspar! How… (how on earth does one talk like Ferdinand von Aegir if one is not Ferdinand von Aegir??) … Can I help you this bright, sunny morning?”

The shorter boy’s eyes sparkled, grin growing wider. “Glad to see you’re okay, I heard a rumour that you’d been looking down this morning” Hubert winced, that must have been when they were leaving Abyss. “We’ve still got some time before today’s meeting starts, do you want to train? I’ve been practising some of those axe skills you taught me last week.”

Oh no.

Hubert, for the thousandth time that day, cursed Ferdinand. And Constance. And the church, because he could.

“T-training? My apologies Caspar, but something unexpected has recently come up. Can we perhaps re-schedule for another day?” He put on his best Ferdinand grin, that he’d spent a decent amount of time perfecting in the mirror. 

Caspar raised an eyebrow. “The days barely started! What’s happened? I haven’t heard anything.”

Why Caspar of all people? Still, Hubert supposed he’s better to string along rather than Dorothea. Or worse, Lady Edelgard.

“It is…a matter of secrecy, unfortunately. Just understand that schedules have been switched around and I will not have any time for training today. At all.”

Not a complete lie.

Caspar still looked confused, but shrugged. “Oh well, hope it gets sorted soon. I’ll ask Petra instead, see you!”

Hubert waved, then quickly exited to make his way to his next meeting, mentally preparing himself for yet another hour of being Ferdinand.

Caspar scratched his head as he watched Ferdinand walk away. “Strange, I could have sworn something was up there.” He gave it another moment before he shrugged again. “Maybe he’s just feeling unwell today”.

\-----

Ferdinand made his way to the Infirmary, ready to make a note of what medical supplies they had in stock, since it was the next thing on Hubert's list. He opened the door, half expecting see Manuela still asleep on the table (A noble should not hold people in such low regard, but it was such a common sight that he couldn’t stop the thought) but instead was met with the sight of Linhardt, flicking through a book as he sat cross-legged on one of the beds.

“Good morning, Linhardt” He announced as he made his way over to the supply cabinets. The man looked up from his book.

“Oh, what a surprise to see you here Hubert. It’s not very often you make a trip here.”

Ferdinand opened the doors and began taking notes. “I am here to make a report, but I could say the same to you Linhardt.” Hmm, there was a shortage on morfis herbs. “Usually Manuela is the one operating the Infirmary, is she not?”

Linhardt yawned. He turned back to his book, eyes skimming lazily. “She is, I was the unlucky fool who just happened to be closest to her when she decided to pass out because of her usual antics.” He turned a page with a long finger. “All I wanted to do was borrow some of Hanneman’s crest research books before he woke up, and here I am stuck on Infirmary duty in case some idiot gets themselves hurt”.

Ferdinand hummed in agreement. While politely ignoring how questionable Linhardt’s “Borrowing” is, he added another note to the report to ask Hubert (when he received it) to give Manuela a small lecture. Seteth used to be the one behind that. Nowadays however, someone else needed to take the role.

After a while had passed in silence, Ferdinand turned to leave. “I still expect to see you at the war council today, I am certain that by then Manuela would have woken up.”

Another yawn. “Yep yep, I’ll try Ferdinand. Have a good day.” He didn’t even look up from his book.

Ferdinand had opened the door and was halfway through before he froze. “I-I am sorry, what did you just call me?” He turned towards the sleepy man, his heart beating ten times quicker than usual, or whatever usual was with Hubert’s heart rate.

“Ferdinand” Linhardt replied, bored as ever. “Whatever It is you and Hubert have done to make you switch bodies, I’m impressed. But you really need to make your act more convincing”.

Ferdinand just stared at him in shock. 

“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t plan to go spread the news to anyone. Just some helpful advice, that’s all.” He returned to his book. “Don’t you have a meeting to get to or something?”

Heart still thundering in his ears, Ferdinand silently walked out of the infirmary.

\-----

Instead of his usual place beside Lady Edelgard, Hubert instead sat in Ferdinand’s seat on the opposite side, with Ferdinand taking his place. 

The war councils were not by any means anyone’s favourite part of the day. Long, stuffy meetings, made even worse by the heat of today's weather. Were they a necessity? Of course, but they didn’t have the thrill of an undercover assignment or The peaceful silence of making your way through a stack of documents.

For the moment, only he, Ferdinand and Lady Edelgard had arrived, which made sense. All three of them made it a point to arrive before the rest of the Black Eagle Strike Force (At one point, shortly after the reunion, he and Ferdinand had a petty argument over who could arrive sooner, but Lady Edelgard quickly put a stop to it).

“Ferdinand, are you feeling all right? You do not seem to be yourself today.” Edelgard looked at him with furrowed brows and a concerned look on her face. Great. He was doing such a bad job at being Ferdinand that he was causing unnecessary concern for Her Majesty. 

“My apologies, I am simply a little under the weather today. But I assure you, I shall be perfectly able to perform my duties today.” He gripped his pen a little tighter, hoping that Ferdinand’s body wouldn’t give away any nervousness as he flashed another Ferdinand smile.

“Indeed, I believe that we may have a slight cold going around our ranks. I myself am feeling quite…unlike myself today, but like Ferdinand, I will be able to perform my tasks with ease.” Ferdinand spoke up from the other side.

Edelgard looked between the two of them for a moment. “Of course. I hope that the both of you….recover soon.” She took a sip of the water in front of her, then smirked. “Although all joking aside, I assume that congratulations are in order?” That prompted both men into a look of confusion

“Lady Edelgard? I am afraid I do not have a clue as to what you are talking about.” Ferdinand spoke up. Gold eyes momentarily looking at Hubert’s orange ones.

“Listen Hubert, I have known you for a long time. There is no need to make up some excuse to me about why the both of you are clearly sleep deprived. I am happy you have finally admitted your feelings.” She smiled.

It took Hubert a moment to process what she was saying.

Simultaneously, both men stood up, cheeks burning a furious red. 

“Wh- that is absolutely-” 

“You have the *completely* wrong idea-“

“That is not what is happening-“

“Lady Edelgard *please*-“

Their protests were broken by the sound of Edelgard bursting into laughter. “I’m joking!”

The two men stared in shock at her. 

Ferdinand spoke up first. “You are…joking?” his (or rather, Hubert’s) cheeks were still stained red.

Edelgard ceased her giggling, finally. “Yes, Yes. I think we all needed that.” She wiped a small tear from her eye. “I will make a report about your health, it would not do to have most of our best fighters under the weather.” 

Both men sat back down in silence, a silent sigh of relief at the thought of Edelgard being blissfully unaware of what’s actually going on.

They avoided further questioning by the appearance of Dorothea and Petra entering the room, chatting avidly. 

\-----

Finally, after what seemed like years, the meeting ended. Caspar, Petra and Dorothea quickly left the stuffy room (Linhardt and Bernadetta never showed up) and Edelgard beckoned Hubert and Ferdinand before they too could escape.

“Listen you two, I understand how we are in a time of great distress, but there is no need to push yourselves so much. If you truly are feeling unwell, I give you both permission to take the rest of the day off, even though you both will undoubtedly refuse anyway.” 

Hubert laughed. “Of course. We are much too dedicated to our work, are we not?”

Ferdinand laughed in turn. “Indeed. You could not make us take a day off if you tried.”

The shorter woman pinched her forehead and sighed. “Typical. Still, please do not push yourselves too hard. You are free to go now”. 

Hubert silently praised Ferdinand for having the mindset to bow to Lady Edelgard before he left. He was actually doing a rather good job at being Hubert. He, unfortunately, could not say the same for himself. Being Ferdinand was possibly the most difficult challenge that he had ever had to face.

Once the two had left the room, The Professor went and moved next to Edelgard.

“…They’re hopeless.” Byleth stated.

“I could not have said it any better myself” she replied.

Byleth turned to her and smirked “I bet you 200G that they confess by the end of the day”

Edelgard gave her a smirk of her own. “Impossible, they are much too stubborn. That 200G is mine.”

\-----

Hubert made his way to the entrance hall in silence. Evening had begun to set in, and there were only a few more tasks left on the list Ferdinand had sent him. It appeared that unlike Hubert, the majority of Ferdinand’s schedule was done throughout the day, which made sense, seeing as it was mostly social interaction. 

“Ferdie~” A familiar voice called. Hubert sighed, and for the hundredth time that day, forced a smile onto his face.

“Dorothea! How can I help you? It is rather late for a social call, is it not?”

The brunette rolled her eyes. “Ever the noble one. Surely you can take juuuuust a minute to indulge me in some gossip.” She winked, and Hubert detected the faintest smell of red wine. 

“Dorothea, did you consume alcohol right before the war council?” He allowed himself a slight glare then, mostly out of habit.

She giggled. “Oh Ferdie don’t worry, I’m only a lit-tle bit tipsy. Anyway you’re one to talk about being distracted, I saw you making goo-goo eyes at Hubie the whole meeting”.

He raised an eyebrow at that. “I can assure you that I was not making… goo-goo eyes at Minister Vestra.”

Dorothea scoffed. “You absolutely were.” She pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You’re *always* staring at him. And what’s with that Minister Vestra stuff? You always call him Hubert nowadays.”

Just as he opened his mouth to protest, she scandalously gasped. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve gone back into denial! Oh Ferdie I know war is a pretty unideal time for romance, but you can’t go back into denial. There’s no denying that you have a crush~” She giggled again. 

Unfortunately, Hubert was once again blushing. And, even more unfortunately, Ferdinand’s body registers blushes much more effectively than Hubert’s, covering his cheeks, neck and chest in heat. “Dorothea, *please*” He began.

“Oh shush Ferdie, I know. You probably have a gazillion things to do, but we really should have an afternoon for chatting again sometime.” She laughed yet again, as if she was discussing the funniest thing on earth. He was most definitely having a word to her about unnecessary alcohol consumption before meetings. …As soon as he got his body back.

“Right. If you excuse me, I have yet more things to complete today.” He politely excused himself and quickly hurried out of the entrance hall, grateful to be away from her.

(“You’re *always* staring at him”) (“Don’t tell me you’ve gone *back* into denial!”) Dorothea’s words continued to echo around in his head. Surely she was talking nonsense, right? Right. Absolutely. There was absolutely no way that Ferdinand von Aegir had a crush on him, Hubert of all people. 

He had countless of perfectly eligible ladies to choose from, so there was no way that he would discard all of them for a potential romance with Hubert. Even if said Hubert would completely reciprocate those feelings if they were true. But they probably weren’t. Probably.

\-----

Looking out of the window, the sky was clearly getting darker, currently a dark navy. Unfortunately, not dark enough, Ferdinand noted. They had agreed to return to abyss once night had fallen, yet it was simply late evening at the most.

And so, he passed the remaining time away in Hubert’s room, signing off a pile of documents in Hubert’s name, before he dropped them off and made his way down to abyss.

It was interesting to see for himself what kind of things Hubert looked over, albeit the majority being similar mundane things to his own. Weapon inventories, army reports, things such as that were of no surprise to him. He politely turned a blind eye when he came across documents that were clearly about Hubert’s darker deeds, with spies and behind-the-scenes work, simply signing them and adding them to the growing pile.

He finished one such paper, and was about to start signing Hubert’s name to the next (Ferdinand was no fraud, but he had seen his signature enough times to make a decent attempt at copying it. Truth be told, he was actually rather proud at his attempts) when the candlelight made his eyes catch on a paragraph near the top of the page.

His eyes skimmed over it quickly, just to gain a simple understanding of whatever it was he was signing, when he stopped writing altogether.

This particular paper was without doubt a permission document, to be given to one of Hubert’s spies so that they could carry out a certain assassination as soon as possible. Such things would not usually bother him, after all, he knew what kind of things Hubert’s work contained.

What bothered him was that the specific assassination detailed was one that he recalled Edelgard ordering *not* to be carried out. The memory as clear as day, it had only taken place at the council meeting two days ago, after all.

He left his pen just slightly over the line to be signed, a drop of ink landing, but no weight to follow. What was he supposed to do? Simply sign the document and turn a blind eye, directly refusing an order from Edelgard herself? Or should he refuse to, and give Hubert a piece of his mind himself?

A familiar memory flashed before his eyes, of which he remembered confronting Hubert about a similar incident. It hadn’t gone very well, and they had both stormed off shortly after. 

He moved his head up and stared at the reflection before him as he thought. Hubert’s gaze stared back at him, face showing the confusion he was thinking. Looking at Hubert, he remembered something else.

(“Hubert, you would never do something if you knew it would harm Edelgard, would you?”)

(“Of course not. Before I do anything, I ask myself if It is either beneficial, harmful or unrelated to Lady Edelgard. If the answer is harmful, I will refuse to carry it out. Even if it is a direct order.”)

Hubert wouldn’t do anything if it harmed Edelgard. He knew that. Hubert obviously had a reason for this, as he always did.

With one last glance in the mirror, he finally pressed the pen to paper, and began to write Hubert’s signature.

\-----

“I believe that today has gone surprisingly well, has it not?” 

The two were once again walking side by side, making their way down to Abyss under the cover of darkness, night having at last begun.

Hubert couldn’t supress a laugh at that, the sound of Ferdinand’s rich laughter filling the cool air.

“I believe we must have lived through two entirely different days then.” He flicked some of Ferdinand’s hair over his shoulder again. “Let’s just hope she has found a cure after all, I do not particularly want to go through such a day again anytime soon.”

Ferdinand pouted at him (He wished for the love of any goddess in the sky to not make that expression appear on his face ever again) “You wound me, Hubert. Do you really dislike being me so much? I actually had a rather entertaining time being the dark, brooding Minister von Vestra.” 

Hubert smiled (Not a Ferdinand one, that made his jaw ache. One that Hubert was much more comfortable doing now that he was away from the public eye) “Flattery will get you nowhere Ferdinand. Unfortunately, I find the life you live day by day to be much too exhausting. How on earth do you manage to socialise with such an impossible number of people on a regular basis?”

He interrupted as Ferdinand opened his mouth to speak “Actually, no need to answer that. It is simply “one of the many things a noble must learn to excel at”, is it not?”

He watched himself smirk, still not used to this out-of-body experience. “Correct as always Hubert, you are beginning to understand me rather well.” 

Another smile. “Of course, I would be a failure of a friend if I did not.”

Ferdinand’s face fell for a moment, eyes losing whatever sparkle he had somehow managed to create. 

Did he say something? Had he assumed he and Ferdinand to be friends? Was he correct in his assumption after all, and Ferdinand had absolutely no intention of becoming close with him in any shape or form? “Ferdinand?” He called, voice only slightly anxious.

“Oh, my apologies. It is nothing Hubert, I am just being selfish.” He watched as Ferdinand’s face resumed its temporary sparkle (seriously, just how did he manage to make Hubert’s not-so-flattering face appear intriguing?)

He narrowed his eyes at him. “Selfish? I can use many words to describe you Ferdinand, and selfish is not a single one of them.” It was true. Even at the academy, when Ferdinand was more obnoxious, more self-flattered and sheltered of the cruel ways of the world, Hubert had never considered him to be selfish.

Ferdinand dropped the act and gave him a sad smile “Thank you, but sadly, I can assure you that selfish is what I am. I am merely hoping for things that I am aware will not come to pass, however much my heart aches because of it”.

Before he could question further, both men alarmingly turned towards the end of the corridor they were walking through at the loud shout of a certain lady.

“FINALLY! Do you not know that it is most rude to keep a lady of status waiting?” Ah. Seemed she was back to her normal self then.

Constance practically marched up to them, head held high and a face of annoyance as she grabbed both men’s arms and began to drag them towards her room with surprising strength. 

“Honestly, I have been sat waiting for hours! Nightfall began ages ago, what in Fodlan took you two complete dimwits so much time to get here?”

Both men were once again interrupted before they could explain how walking to Abyss takes up a rather large amount of time, and that she was most likely exaggerating. “Actually, never mind. You are both here now, and so long as we begin the process quickly, we shall have you both back to rights in time for dawn.”

Ferdinand spoke up first “You mean to say you have found a cure?” Face lighting up with joy (Please. Let him have his face back soon. No look of such pure happiness should ever make its presence known on the face of Hubert von Vestra.) 

Constance’s face somehow turned even more annoyed at that. “Found? You belittle me Ferdinand. I, Constance von Nuvelle have spent all day creating a cure for this most unfortunate accident entirely from scratch.”

Hubert had to give her credit if she was right, he had never heard of a magical reverse spell to be created in such a short amount of time. However, that also sounded much more unsafe than the damned spell this morning that she had spent months planning. Oh joy.

“From scratch? Constance, you never cease to amaze me. I am sure that your name is one that will go down in everlasting history!” Ferdinand continued singing praises, but all they did was make Constance’s expression shift from one of annoyance to one of slight unnerve.

“A good thing I worked so fast too, the sight of Hubert von Vestra complimenting me in waves is something that while I appreciate greatly, also unsettles me to my very core.”

He had to laugh at Ferdinand quickly being silenced by her, Hubert’s face looking like he had just found out he had drunk the last of the coffee in his supply. (Something that he admitted had happened at least once)

Constance practically shoved them inside once they reached her room. “You should not need to be a certain distance away from each other this time, so I shall be able to perform the entire reversal in the same place.” 

She picked up a tome from her desk and opened it to a bookmarked page, finger tracing lines of freshly written cursive.

“You two, stand next to each other on the chalk lines that Hapi so generously drew for me earlier today.” He complied, moving over next to Ferdinand. The small height difference Ferdinand held at this moment in time became much more obvious now that he was so close to him. Hopefully that would be fixed soon.

She raised her hands, mirroring the same actions she did this morning. Spell diagrams appeared in the air, unfamiliar runes once again encircling the crest of Noa in the centre of them. “It should feel the same as the warp spell did, so brace yourself.”

He looked into his own eyes then, the orange ones meeting gold in a shared look of concern. Ferdinand reached a gloved hand out, and Hubert took it. 

Even as the familiar feeling of a vortex overtook him, the only thought throughout his mind was how he had never once remembered his own hands being so warm.

\-----

He blinked his eyes open, slowly. The nauseating feeling had vanished, and he was still in Constance’s room, holding Ferdinand’s hand.

Ferdinand’s hand.

He came back to his senses and looked to the man beside him. The image of the sun himself met his eyes, Ferdinand’s eyes were still closed, but it was most undoubtedly *him*.

Slowly, the other man’s eyes flickered open as he regained his senses (Hubert would hazard a guess that since Ferdinand was less used to the effects of a warp spell, it took longer for him to recover). A second passed as he did nothing but stare at the opposite wall, before he gasped, and flame coloured eyes moved to gaze at Hubert’s face.

“Hubert! It’s you!”

He didn’t even have time to return the sentiment before two strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him close into a hug. “It’s you! You’re you!” soft locks of hair tickled his nose, his own arms awkwardly stiff at his sides.

He moved one of them to lightly pat at Ferdinand’s back. “Yes. It is me. And you are you, it appears to have worked.” He could barely form the words to speak, his mind was way too occupied with the complete and utter *warmth* that surrounded him.

Ferdinand released him gently, stepping away with tears falling down his face. “It certainly does, Hubert. I do not believe I have ever been happier to see your face before my very own, rather than a mere reflection in a mirror.” The smile on his face was the brightest one Hubert had ever seen radiate from this man, and yet this time, he didn’t feel the urge to shield his eyes.

He raised his own (His own!) gloved hand to reach up to Ferdinand’s cheek, his thumb carefully dragging across to wipe away the fallen tears. “And I feel the exact same way. You really are the only person who can truly be Ferdinand von Aegir.” He was smiling, a smile somewhat larger to one he was used to making in his own body. 

Ferdinand laughed. “And you are truly the only one who can be Hubert von Vestra.” Hubert watched as he brought his own gloved hand up to cradle his own, and gasped when Ferdinand leaned into his touch.

“You may be dark, and secretive, but you are perfectly justified for those reasons, and they are what make you *Hubert*. Not only that, but you are handsome, charming, intelligent, thoughtful and so, so many more words that I can use to describe you.” Ferdinand raised a gloved hand of his own to Hubert’s face, uncharacteristically nervous. Bright eyes stared into his own, carefully watching Hubert’s expression.

He found himself leaning into Ferdinand’s hand, warm just like the rest of him. “I could say almost the same thing to you. You are unwaveringly confident, and you find the positive in anything that is thrown at you. You can bright up any room you are in, and inspire the people who surround you. You are everything that I could never even pretend to be, even for a day.” 

The citrus eyes dropped their gaze from Hubert’s for a moment, lowering to his lips before rising to meet his eyes again. “While we each perform very different duties, as two very different people…” Ferdinand began. “I believe that when we work together, as ourselves, we accomplish so much more. And it is my wish for us to do just that, together.”

Ferdinand’s cheeks blushed red, eyes once again lowering to Hubert’s lips and back. “That is, of course, if you will have me.” 

Hubert didn’t even give himself chance to process what Ferdinand was saying before he surged forward and captured Ferdinand’s lips with his own. He felt the other man freeze for a moment, before he melted into the kiss. Ferdinand’s lips were unbelievably soft, only slightly salty from a stray tear that had passed over them.

A corner of his mind recognised the defeated sigh of Constance leaving the room, muttering strings of “Not even a thank you!”, yet he couldn’t find a single inch inside of him to care. He was much too occupied with something more important. 

Ferdinand opened his mouth, deepening the kiss, and Hubert moved his other hand to run through the silky locks of Ferdinand’s hair. He most definitely preferred such locks on Ferdinand, rather than himself.

Eventually, they parted. Cheeks red and breathing heavy, mouths still so, so close to each other. 

“I shall take that as a yes, then?” Ferdinand breathed, eyes notably darker than usual.

“A thousand yeses would not even begin to acknowledge how much I return your feelings, I treasure every moment you choose to spend with me, despite how unworthy I am-”

A finger came between them, gently landing on Hubert’s lips, silencing him. “Hush Hubert, you are not unworthy in the slightest. I will not be hearing any of that from you.”

Hubert chuckled, one of his familiar dark laughs escaping him. “I greatly disagree, but I suppose you now have plenty of time to convince me.” 

Ferdinand smirked. “Then convince you I shall”, and he moved to bring their lips together again. 

\-----

“I cannot believe you were right” Edelgard grumbled, as she dropped the coins into Byleth’s waiting hand.

Byleth shrugged. “I learned a lot about betting from travelling with my father as a mercenary”. She looked at Edelgard and smirked. “I’m guessing you didn’t get much sleep last night?”

The Emperor was currently helping herself to her third cup of black coffee of the day, hair disheveled and eyes tired. She downed the last few drops before she slammed the cup back down onto the table.

"I am afraid not. Of all the goddess damned rooms in the Monastery at their choosing, they decided on Hubert’s.” she rubbed at a sleep-deprived eye, trying to keep herself from nodding off.

“How did you find out?” She asked to the professor, who was currently counting the coins one by one with a smug expression.

“I made a trip to abyss before I came here, I needed to collect a report from Yuri about suspicious figures sighted near the monastery.” She didn’t look up from counting as she spoke. “Before I got far however, Constance was nagging my ear off on how Hubert and Ferdinand were way too busy confessing their undying love to each other to even offer her gratitude for the hours of work she put into helping them yesterday."

She shrugged again. “No idea what she was talking about, but I was happy to have the excuse to collect 200G”. She finished counting, placing the last coin on a neat stack. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

Edelgard yawned. “You earned it. But please, do not make a bet like that again. I rather prefer to get at least *some* sleep at night.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so so much for reading! If you enjoyed, Kudos and Comments are very much appreciated :)
> 
> Massive thanks to the ferdibert server who helped me while writing this, If any of you are reading this ily.
> 
> (btw, If anyone is wondering why Hubert was so nervous about Ferdie entering his room, it's because he has a stash of unsent love letters addressed to Ferdie that he's too embarrassed to send.)
> 
> Talk to me about Ferdibert on Twitter   
> [here!](https://twitter.com/Dakota_Cardie/)


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